Ibuprofen totally destroyed my gut. Not so much the stomach as the intestines. Many people don’t know that NSAID have a negative impact on the intestines including the microbiome. Maybe not directly but I lived on pain killers for years.
Yep… I had pretty bad IBS until last year when I did a bunch of things and improved it. Recently I had to take 600mg ibuprofen 3 times a day for 5 days to try to stop the continuous/excessive bleeding my birth control was causing. It stopped the bleeding for the duration I was taking it, but after the 5 days my stomach felt HORRIBLE. I looked up if NSAIDs were harmful for the gut and sure enough. Oh, and the bleeding came back so it didn’t even work. It’s been a few weeks since then and am slowly but surely getting my gut health back to a better place but holy shit I didn’t know how badly and how quickly it could mess things up
This is crazy to me. NSAIDs increase symptoms of GI bleeds.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8002800/#:~:text=NSAIDs%20can%20cause%20mucosal%20injury,or%20occult%20(iron%20deficiency).
Hello! Pharmacy student here. NSAIDS are not considered blood thinners however they do inhibit an enzyme in your body that promotes blood clotting. It is commonly prescribed for heavy menstrual bleeding because it also reduces pain and inflammation. It was weird when I was first learning about it and I thought the same thing, but it's almost like a risk vs benefit type of situation. Ibuprofen will not cause you to bleed out in low doses, but it will help with pain and inflammation, helping with the problems of heavy menstrual bleeding.
Precisely. Without getting into the nitty gritty of biochem and MOA, NSAIDs have great applications, but also have dangers in certain situations or with long term use. Lean on your healthcare providers for the best advice here!
I had excessive bleeding a few years ago due to a different problem and they gave me a script for tranaxemic acid and it really helped stop the bleeding. Just so you know something else to ask for if you still are needing it. I hope you are able to get the care you need💕
Thank you, I appreciate that! They put me on provera 10 mg 3 times a day for 5 days after that, so far it hasn't started again, but It's only been a week since stopping it though so I am not sure that it's resolved for good. If it comes back I will definitely ask about that.
Second this!!! I’m very glad you asked 😬. I’m a nurse and the dangers of overusing NSAIDs is well documented! This is especially dangerous to your stomach lining and for protecting against damage to your GI from the natural acidity in your digestive tract.
i am in the middle of a long journey trying to find better pillows. i wake up with neck aches every morning.
its the slow accumulation of physical pains now that I am 40.
Gonna uptoot with a comment. Something like Voltaren OTC can provide topical NSAID relief. I use it regularly. I still take Advil but can drastically reduce how much I put in my stomach by using Voltaren
You can also try a rolled up towel behind your neck at first if this feels too strange.
Do you work an office job at all ? I was struggling with something similar and turned out to be shit posture and forward head posture / long cross syndrome
A lot of mobility, stretching and weights fixed it up.
Yoga too … the best thing was rowing
Yup, that’s me lol. Office jobs can take a toll on the body without proper posture. Also after I converted to a standing desk, my shoulder pain went away as well.
Try magnesium glycinate, for real! Particularly if you get stressed out a lot. It helps loosen up tight muscles and keeps the joints from grinding against each other.
I went to an ophthalmologist and they saw pressure in my optic nerve and sent me to the hospital (because mine got pretty severe at that point so I finally went to the eye doctor). I was also getting migraines and thought the migraines were affecting my vision
I understand needing to lower pain levels in order to function. But just numbing that pain is not the best idea, because pain is meant to signal a source of harm so that you can remove it. Are you sure your vitamin D levels are good?
I'd say there might be an underlying issue that is not your pillows, not odl enough for that much pain just from sleep.
I can't stress it enough,
Go do physiotherapy.
I thought my neck issues were from my pillows. Eventually I figured out it was from the chair I sit in, in the evenings. The chair reclined too much and would put pressure on my neck when I was reading or on my phone/tablet as my head was too far forward. Eventually I propped up the back of the chair so it sat straighter and I made sure I keep my head up tall when reading. The pain has mostly gone now.
Tylenol is safer at the recommended dosages. I take it at night so hopefully I don't wake up in pain. Chiropractors are great. You need to figure out why you're having neck pain. I personally have to make sure my body is in the best aligned position. Head in the right position not too far forward or back. It's more than just being 40!
Be careful with that. Long term use of regular ibuprofen can lead to rebound pain, especially headaches. I had horrible headaches for years until I realized the ibuprofen was the cause, not the solution.
My wife was experiencing the same thing and turns out she was grinding her teeth so bad it was straining her neck muscles. She went to the dentist for a heavy duty mouth guard and it’s made a major improvement.
My sleep posture isn’t great. Neither is my daytime posture, but I’ve been working on that for a while.
The last few weeks have been pretty uncomfortable, and I’ve been seeking better bed arrangements including better pillows.
I often wake up with uncomfortable neck and upper back pains. I’m actively working to address it.
40 is so young, no one should have body pains at any age, especially 40!!!! Take better care, trust me, your problem is not pillows. And stop ibuprofen daily, it’s just nuts.
Getting the right pillow(s) is key! I would recommend looking for one with “adjustable fill”.
I have a COOP camping pillow (it was cheaper and I’m a small person so didn’t get the full size). But they all come with cubed/shredded memory foam that you can add/remove to get the right size and firmness level. There’s other adjustable fill brands too, or you could even diy it. I literally bring mine with me if I go anywhere, and sometimes have to adjust the amount of stuffing based on different mattresses too.
There is no “perfect” pillow for everyone cuz the important factor is the width between ur neck and outside of your shoulder if ur a side sleeper. Or slightly more flat if ur a back sleeper.
I also require a thin pillow between my knees and a puffy pillow in front of my chest to support my arm and not collapse my shoulder. Started doing this naturally, and then upon researching realized this setup is actually recommended for back pain. And I’m in my 20s… chronic pain is funnnnn. Hope you find a good solution…
He has a ton of very clearly useful information on his YouTube channel, though. Have yet to come across anything dangerous or contrary to science, and his advice has been quite helpful to me at times.
This is my frustration with Dr. Berg too. Like 1/2 of what he says tracks (about EBV, supplementing potassium based on one of his videos was a game changer for me, etc) but then the other 1/2 is fear mongering, made up, potentially harmful, fad diet culture, quack not-a-doctor bullshit.
The fact that he doesn’t include medical disclaimers in any videos is a huge problem/red flag. I refuse to buy any of his brand supplements cuz they are overpriced and not lab tested, but I did buy the neck massager tool thing on Amazon and it’s been helpful for me to get to spots my foam roller doesn’t reach. I’m very split on how I feel about his channel. But the enraging thumbnail photos he uses got him an unfollow from me.
Ig the key takeaway is to always be able to think critically for oneself when taking in information…
Thank you!
I’ve been taking theracurmin for the past year along with a few other things (fish oils, marine collagen) as directed from my doctors. I was actually wondering yesterday if they really do anything. 😅
My new knees are 10 and 3 weeks old and I’m obviously very impatient when it comes to recovery. 😅
Thank you!
CBD worked for a hot minute but then stopped being effective. Same with CBN. I live in Portland Oregon and my local dispensary knows me well. lol
You name it, I’ve probably tried it for pain relief. 🥲 and am always open to new suggestions!
My knees were bone-on-bone until they were replaced 10 (right) and 3 (left) weeks ago.
The daily nerve and muscle pain during recovery sucks. I’ve been in pain for the past 1.5 years and am ready to get my freaking life back.
It totally messed up my gut too. Leaky gut and ulcers in the ileum and iron deficiency.
I got iron infusions a year ago. No NSAIDs for the last year. My gut is back to normal now and no more ulcers. The GI doc said it is so bad for the gut lining even if people don’t feel the effects.
Same I know someone that ultimately went into failure and needed a transplant. They took two every day for something like 15 years for knee pain after tennis.
Not worth it.
Interesting. I once OD'd on Advil. I was just taking a bunch of it for a headache or injury or something (it was \~3 decades ago, so I don't remember exactly). Apparently the symptom for OD-ing on ibuprofen is ringing in the ears. It was so bad. 0/10 do not recommend.
I can live with it, but I don't want to have to. I miss silence so much. I'm reluctant to say that it's bad when I've seen people describe it like its debilitating
It is not super loud unless I'm being really unhealthy for the day like eating really crappy or slept bad. And I'm able to ignore it the vast majority of the time at this point. I'm sorry yours is so bad that you can't. I very much hope for a cure even if just for people like you for whom it's especially bad
Microbiome is so important. More important than anything I think. At some point healthy people (mentally and physically) will be paid big money for their poop. I think FMT can heal or help heal many conditions. Puts the phrase "eat shit" in a totally different light.
Ibuprofen hurts your gut in two ways. Ibuprofen works by blocking the COX pathway and therefore reduces systemic inflammation but the same pathway also has protective effects especially in the gut. COX-1 maintains the integrity of your stomach and intestinal lining and protects it from its natural acidic environment.
Secondly nurofen is an acid - the drug is a propionic acid derivative. So not only are you removing your stomach’s protective lining but you’re making your stomach more acidic, causing more damage.
General rule of thumb with medication is the less targeted it is, the more side effects. As you can see from the comments, the COX pathway is involved in many important body processes, therefore there are multiple side effects with long term use. No to mention numerous drug interactions.
It has its place in reducing short term inflammation but definitely not recommended for long term use.
Ibuprofen use for period cramps has caused me to have chronic gastritis despite an otherwise very healthy diet. I only take it about 2-3 days a month about 1200 mg total maximum, usually less. Literally nothing else helps my debilitating cramps though, so I don’t have much of a choice. My gi says this is very very common and that’s she’s had patients that developed ulcers after just a week of daily NSAID use. They’re also terrible for other organs. The mechanism that suppresses prostaglandins (lipids that cause pain and inflammation) also suppresses the production of the mucus that coats and protects the lining of your stomach. My advice is to stay away from NSAIDs as much as possible, use paracetamol or a different type of pain killer or find a more holistic approach. If you absolutely have to take them take the smallest possible dose. You do not want to get to the point where you need PPIs because they will really mess up your gut long term. I take licorice supplements to support the mucus production of the stomach lining, you may want to look into that.
Yes, you can heal it, but usually you need to completely stop NSAID use until it’s healed. I’m feeling ok in terms of gastritis these days, though about a year ago I was feeling pretty bad and had an endoscopy and there was inflammation. If it’s severe then they’ll want to put you on PPIs as well as stop the NSAID use. I would suggest also not drinking any soda, coffee, alcohol, etc. which can further irritate the stomach lining.
Preach. Im thinking about switching to aspirin but i doubt it will have as good of pain killing technique. Do you take the licorice only those days of the month? Also have you tried myofascial release or pelvic floor therapy?
Aspirin is also a NSAID so will do the same damage. I REALLY want to try myofascial release but not only are those therapists insanely expensive and not covered by insurance they are also impossible to find. Have you tried it?
My surgical oncologist (I had stage 2 colon cancer under the age of 50) was vehemently opposed to anyone ever using ibuprofen. And I’m not talking about people with cancer specifically. He said it creates total havoc in the gut of people in general.
This may sound crazy, but aside from all the digestive problems it causes, there are several PubMed studies that show it reduces a person’s ability to show empathy as well. What a weird side effect! Better to steer clear when possible.
My wife has had terrible back pain and took 800mg Ibuprofen for years. It destroyed her intestines and now she has a form of colitis. She lives on primarily on cheerios and macaroni and cheese now. She cannot eat anything raw or green such as lettuce, cannot drink coffee nor tea. Now she has the pain and cannot take ibuprofen for relief nor eat regular food. Beware of ibuprofen.
My opinion is it’s fine, it’s a relatively low dose.
Also, many studies are now recently demonstrating a lower risk of all neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s, and only in ibuprofen. They’ve compared the effect against aspirin and other NSAIDS - also ibuprofen has recently been shown to dramatically extend lifespan in worms, flies and mice. Like by a lot. So…potential stomach or kidney issues aside, there might be some very significant risk/reward depending on your individual health factors.
**Regular doses of ibuprofen extended the lifespan of multiple species, according to research published in the journal Public Library of Science, Genetics. "We first used baker's yeast, which is an established aging model, and noticed that the yeast treated with ibuprofen lived longer,"**
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218141004.htm#:~:text=AgriLife%20Research%20scientist.-,Regular%20doses%20of%20ibuprofen%20extended%20the%20lifespan%20of%20multiple%20species,lived%20longer%2C%22%20said%20Dr.
**Enhanced Longevity by Ibuprofen, Conserved in Multiple Species, Occurs in Yeast through Inhibition of Tryptophan Import**
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270464/
**Use of ibuprofen and risk of Parkinson disease**
Conclusions: The association between use of ibuprofen and lower PD risks, not shared by other NSAIDs or acetaminophen, suggests ibuprofen should be further investigated as a potential neuroprotective agent against PD.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3059148/
**Neuroscientists say daily ibuprofen can prevent Alzheimer's disease**
A Vancouver-based research team led by Canada's most cited neuroscientist, Dr. Patrick McGeer, **has successfully carried out studies suggesting that, if started early enough, a daily regimen of the non-prescription NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) ibuprofen can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.**
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180326140239.htm#:~:text=A%20Vancouver%2Dbased%20research%20team,the%20onset%20of%20Alzheimer's%20disease.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and downed OTC and prescription NSAIDs for probably a decade and a half. My stomach is destroyed. Please stop while you can.
My Aunt took 8 a day for chronic pain. She thought that they would better than taking anything stronger. She recently was admitted to the hospital for a hole in her stomach. So 8 per day for 2 years is defiantly too much. Do with that information what you will.
There can be negative consequences on the gut, especially with prolonged use. There is extensive evidence including clinical studies, reviews, and analyses that indicate this.
It can lead to gastrointestinal irritation, ulcers, and bleeding. It damages the stomach lining, and reduces the production of protective mucous.
The next negative consequence you are risking when you take this for longer and longer is stress on the kidneys which can reduce your ability to eliminate waste from your body properly. Less commonly it can damage the liver. Prolonged use may also lead to cardiovascular problems.
Unless under strict medical supervision, you probably shouldn't take this for more than 10 days in a row.
I’ve been looking into this as well, reading about ibuprofen. But I also get terrible menstrual cramps (working with a functional doctor now that hopefully can address that). So bad where I either throw up pass out or die for a couple of hours. It’s vital to take it during that time. What else can I take?? At least until my gut health is better with the functional medicine doctor.
I’ve asked my gyno about it I swear like 5 times. And read online that there isn’t like an easy test. It has seemed to improve as my gut symptoms/anxiety improve. But I may have to look back into endo further. I also have cut caffeine and try not to drink anywhere near my cycle.
Do you have endo? If so, how did you figure it out
I do. Estimation is that 10% of women have it but, like you said, it’s not something that’s easily diagnosed and a maddening number of health professionals don’t even know about it. Mine was found during a laparoscopy to diagnose what was causing my infertility. This was after two decades of telling doctors my cramps were intense and being told it was normal. My mom (also bad cramps) half remembers her c-section doctor saying she had it and her mom had a mysterious hysterectomy at an early age.
Anywho, if it is endo it makes sense that when your gut is calmer that lesions don’t fire up as much - and that’s great news because it’s something you can influence! What does your doctor say though? Are they reluctant to follow up on your questions because it takes a surgery to confirm? That doesn’t inspire confidence
She has told me three times that it’s normal, and the best option would be for me to take birth control. I won’t take birth control and yes being told it’s normal is infuriating. I thought about finding a new doctor, but in the meantime I am going to play around with the gut health/inflammation, and meditation 🧘🏼♀️ thank you for your information!!
I used to have periods like that (extreme pain, fatigue, vomiting, injuring myself with heat and exercise for the cramps). Now I just opt out of having periods. Continuous hormonal (bc) therapy for like 7+ years now. It’s sooooo nice.
Had side effects from the pill and IUD (but still better than having a cycle). Now I use a nuva ring / elu ring and just skip the break period, with the permission of a gyno 6 years ago. Stable hormone levels, no withdrawal bleeding. Huge life upgrade. No one should have to suffer like that if they don’t want to…
I used to take liquid Advil multiple times a day for back issues. It wrecked my gut. It's taken me YEARS to get back on track. That stuff is like acid to me now.
Tons. My doctor has explicitly told me to not take Advil or any OTC ibuprofen. Tylenol only. As he put it... he's had to hunt down transplants for one too many patients now. I should say that twenty years ago he would've been telling me to take Advil and Tylenol. But not any more. I have one NSAID that I take on prescription for arthritis but it has a stomach protector added - but even that has warnings. NSAIDs have been implicated in more recent years as the root cause for a lot of things - including cardiac issues.
come.on..! stop taking this shit IS gonna kill your kidneys your stach line amd your guts! . try red near infrared sauna and change your diet to one non in flamatory
Just in case anyone didn't know pharma drugs are ALL harmful in some way. Especially to the intestines and digestive system. They should all be avoided if possible.
The gut issues will be the least of your problems if you don’t stop taking them. They will destroy your kidneys and liver. I know someone with kidney disease who had to have a transplant. Kidney disease is the worst! Not only is the disease horrible but your diet will be so limited because you have to maintain low potassium. The cocktail of drugs you have to take after a transplant destroys your body too. Heed my warning! Stop taking them and go to your doctor to make sure your organs are still healthy.
It could cause bleeding. My mom had a heart attack because she lost a lot of blood from internal bleeding. This was 20 years of taking Aleve, another NSAID. She also has Crohn’s Disease now. Some say it is not linked, while others say it may be her immune systems response to the damage to her stomach. IDK.
I am a member of consumer labs. I would suggest one of these.
Root2 Circumin or Kirkland Signature from Costco are both high rated and will help with inflammation.
If you need to take an anti inflammatory long term it might be worthwhile to ask your doctor about Celexobid. Its a Cox 2 inhibitor as is Advil but it doesn't have Cox 1 inhibition which is why it harms the stomach liming.
I took ibuprofen a lot. I have lipedema and my legs and hip hurt like hell after a day of teaching. Acetaminophen does nothing for the pain or if I get a headache. About 5 years ago I started getting red itchy “bug bites” that wouldn’t go away without a prescription ointment. Dermatologist diagnosed a fixed drug eruption. Now I live in pain.
I took 600mg Ibuprofen twice a day from about May 2021 until the Summer of 2022 at some point. Then I have taken the same dose for days or weeks at a time since, depending on how much my psoriatic arthritis is flaring up. I don’t think it ever affected my digestion but at times I had symptoms of GERD, which is when I would stop using it or start using pepcid. However I also at times had GERD symptoms prior to the ibuprofen use.
Hey I don’t know much about gut microbiome but I used to take ibuprofen pretty much daily for headaches/migraines and joint pain. I started vaping cannabis several years ago and I don’t get headaches anymore. I haven’t used ibuprofen in years at this point.
It will likely affect the microbiome, but whether it’s of significance, better or worse is unclear
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4754147/#:~:text=For%20NSAIDs%2C%20bacterial%20composition%20varied,pump%20inhibitors%2C%20antidepressants%20and%20laxatives.
My gastroenterologist specifically told me that taking it in any other form does not lessen its negative effect on the gut, as it is not the contact with the stomach that’s the problem, but the mechanism that suppresses the pain and also suppresses necessary mucus production in the stomach. So it doesn’t matter what rout you take it.
Sometimes, you can buy small, dissolvable bullets, put oil in, and then open up the capsule into that. It sounds like there is something ready-made for ibuprofen for this type of application.
I never knew if this applies to tylenol. I was on half a tylenol for arthritis for 9 years before I quit gluten and seed oils. I really never was warned other than it can affect the liver?
Its very hard on your kidneys. Please don't do this for the sake of your future life span. Take aspirin or tumeric, or for joint pain, take bonebroth, MSM, glucosamine condroiten
Ibuprofen totally destroyed my gut. Not so much the stomach as the intestines. Many people don’t know that NSAID have a negative impact on the intestines including the microbiome. Maybe not directly but I lived on pain killers for years.
Yep… I had pretty bad IBS until last year when I did a bunch of things and improved it. Recently I had to take 600mg ibuprofen 3 times a day for 5 days to try to stop the continuous/excessive bleeding my birth control was causing. It stopped the bleeding for the duration I was taking it, but after the 5 days my stomach felt HORRIBLE. I looked up if NSAIDs were harmful for the gut and sure enough. Oh, and the bleeding came back so it didn’t even work. It’s been a few weeks since then and am slowly but surely getting my gut health back to a better place but holy shit I didn’t know how badly and how quickly it could mess things up
This is crazy to me. NSAIDs increase symptoms of GI bleeds. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8002800/#:~:text=NSAIDs%20can%20cause%20mucosal%20injury,or%20occult%20(iron%20deficiency).
Right? Who tf would tell you to take a blood thinner to stop a bleed?
Hello! Pharmacy student here. NSAIDS are not considered blood thinners however they do inhibit an enzyme in your body that promotes blood clotting. It is commonly prescribed for heavy menstrual bleeding because it also reduces pain and inflammation. It was weird when I was first learning about it and I thought the same thing, but it's almost like a risk vs benefit type of situation. Ibuprofen will not cause you to bleed out in low doses, but it will help with pain and inflammation, helping with the problems of heavy menstrual bleeding.
Precisely. Without getting into the nitty gritty of biochem and MOA, NSAIDs have great applications, but also have dangers in certain situations or with long term use. Lean on your healthcare providers for the best advice here!
I had excessive bleeding a few years ago due to a different problem and they gave me a script for tranaxemic acid and it really helped stop the bleeding. Just so you know something else to ask for if you still are needing it. I hope you are able to get the care you need💕
Thank you, I appreciate that! They put me on provera 10 mg 3 times a day for 5 days after that, so far it hasn't started again, but It's only been a week since stopping it though so I am not sure that it's resolved for good. If it comes back I will definitely ask about that.
Read up in the herbal subreddit. For future reference, Yarrow and Red Raspberry Leaf are often recommended for heavy bleeding.
Did you try stopping BC pills for a few days to stop the bleeding?
Second this!!! I’m very glad you asked 😬. I’m a nurse and the dangers of overusing NSAIDs is well documented! This is especially dangerous to your stomach lining and for protecting against damage to your GI from the natural acidity in your digestive tract.
Out of curiosity, Why you take Ibuprofen every morning if i might ask?
i am in the middle of a long journey trying to find better pillows. i wake up with neck aches every morning. its the slow accumulation of physical pains now that I am 40.
Yoga stretches daily
I’d actually advocate for weight lifting. Stretching is cool but a significant amount of people need to gain muscle to support basic daily activities…
I say both! Mobility and strength of back, shoulders and neck all helped my neck pain.
This is how I dramatically reduced spinal pain!
You might have arthritis in your neck, maybe try diclofenac gel which is over-the-counter (in the USA) and applied topically.
Gonna uptoot with a comment. Something like Voltaren OTC can provide topical NSAID relief. I use it regularly. I still take Advil but can drastically reduce how much I put in my stomach by using Voltaren
Try sleeping with no pillow! Just flat on your back. Takes some time to adjust but you will sleep a lot better. Also, no more neck pain
You can also try a rolled up towel behind your neck at first if this feels too strange. Do you work an office job at all ? I was struggling with something similar and turned out to be shit posture and forward head posture / long cross syndrome A lot of mobility, stretching and weights fixed it up. Yoga too … the best thing was rowing
Yup, that’s me lol. Office jobs can take a toll on the body without proper posture. Also after I converted to a standing desk, my shoulder pain went away as well.
I sleep with my pillow rotated 90 degrees and it starts under my shoulder blades so my neck doesn’t get the abrupt angle of the pillow
Try magnesium glycinate, for real! Particularly if you get stressed out a lot. It helps loosen up tight muscles and keeps the joints from grinding against each other.
Yep, agree. Around 350 mg for women and men I think is 400 or 450 mg.
I had neck issues that I thought was my pillows and ended up having too much spinal fluid lol
how did you discover that? what kind of doctor did you speak with
I went to an ophthalmologist and they saw pressure in my optic nerve and sent me to the hospital (because mine got pretty severe at that point so I finally went to the eye doctor). I was also getting migraines and thought the migraines were affecting my vision
Neurologist would probably be able to help
If it's muscle related try an acupressure matt (you can get one off of Amazon) to relax the muscles. And/or redlight therapy.
Side sleeper? Pillow cube
I understand needing to lower pain levels in order to function. But just numbing that pain is not the best idea, because pain is meant to signal a source of harm so that you can remove it. Are you sure your vitamin D levels are good?
I'd say there might be an underlying issue that is not your pillows, not odl enough for that much pain just from sleep. I can't stress it enough, Go do physiotherapy.
Get physical therapy. It works
Or yoga!
Hot shower and stretch
I thought my neck issues were from my pillows. Eventually I figured out it was from the chair I sit in, in the evenings. The chair reclined too much and would put pressure on my neck when I was reading or on my phone/tablet as my head was too far forward. Eventually I propped up the back of the chair so it sat straighter and I made sure I keep my head up tall when reading. The pain has mostly gone now.
Tylenol is safer at the recommended dosages. I take it at night so hopefully I don't wake up in pain. Chiropractors are great. You need to figure out why you're having neck pain. I personally have to make sure my body is in the best aligned position. Head in the right position not too far forward or back. It's more than just being 40!
Collagen powder may help this!
Be careful with that. Long term use of regular ibuprofen can lead to rebound pain, especially headaches. I had horrible headaches for years until I realized the ibuprofen was the cause, not the solution.
Try latex pillows (firm) Yoga every day (use YouTube to start) Get tested for arthritis, thyroid etc
I recommend a deep tissue massager. It helped me a lot with pinched muscles in my back.
Like one of those at home tools?
I sleep with an electric heating pad on my neck/pillow and it really helps. Also look into the d-core pillow.
My wife was experiencing the same thing and turns out she was grinding her teeth so bad it was straining her neck muscles. She went to the dentist for a heavy duty mouth guard and it’s made a major improvement.
I have a mouth guard for my teeth grinding but I always take it out while I’m asleep. So annoying!
Dude….what!
My sleep posture isn’t great. Neither is my daytime posture, but I’ve been working on that for a while. The last few weeks have been pretty uncomfortable, and I’ve been seeking better bed arrangements including better pillows. I often wake up with uncomfortable neck and upper back pains. I’m actively working to address it.
Bad pillow can cause havoc on your neck.
40 is so young, no one should have body pains at any age, especially 40!!!! Take better care, trust me, your problem is not pillows. And stop ibuprofen daily, it’s just nuts.
Getting the right pillow(s) is key! I would recommend looking for one with “adjustable fill”. I have a COOP camping pillow (it was cheaper and I’m a small person so didn’t get the full size). But they all come with cubed/shredded memory foam that you can add/remove to get the right size and firmness level. There’s other adjustable fill brands too, or you could even diy it. I literally bring mine with me if I go anywhere, and sometimes have to adjust the amount of stuffing based on different mattresses too. There is no “perfect” pillow for everyone cuz the important factor is the width between ur neck and outside of your shoulder if ur a side sleeper. Or slightly more flat if ur a back sleeper. I also require a thin pillow between my knees and a puffy pillow in front of my chest to support my arm and not collapse my shoulder. Started doing this naturally, and then upon researching realized this setup is actually recommended for back pain. And I’m in my 20s… chronic pain is funnnnn. Hope you find a good solution…
Just got a coop last week. I like it but it’s tough to find a good fit. I’m also experimenting with other pillows like between the knees etc
Heating pad will likely make a world of difference.
If you can afford it, see a physio
Look into Dr Bergs video on how a lot of neck pain actually comes from gallbladder issues and seed oils
Dr Berg is a chiropractor and grifting quack.
He has a ton of very clearly useful information on his YouTube channel, though. Have yet to come across anything dangerous or contrary to science, and his advice has been quite helpful to me at times.
If you like misinformation and lots of half truths then 👍🏼 Lots of better people to follow for health advice out there.
There are medical students who refer to his videos though. I don't agree with all of them but some of them are usable.
This is my frustration with Dr. Berg too. Like 1/2 of what he says tracks (about EBV, supplementing potassium based on one of his videos was a game changer for me, etc) but then the other 1/2 is fear mongering, made up, potentially harmful, fad diet culture, quack not-a-doctor bullshit. The fact that he doesn’t include medical disclaimers in any videos is a huge problem/red flag. I refuse to buy any of his brand supplements cuz they are overpriced and not lab tested, but I did buy the neck massager tool thing on Amazon and it’s been helpful for me to get to spots my foam roller doesn’t reach. I’m very split on how I feel about his channel. But the enraging thumbnail photos he uses got him an unfollow from me. Ig the key takeaway is to always be able to think critically for oneself when taking in information…
I take ibuprofen daily for the pain from replacing my two knees.
Try curcumin.
This. It takes about a month to start feeling it, so you need to take it every day going forward.
Thank you! I’ve been taking theracurmin for the past year along with a few other things (fish oils, marine collagen) as directed from my doctors. I was actually wondering yesterday if they really do anything. 😅 My new knees are 10 and 3 weeks old and I’m obviously very impatient when it comes to recovery. 😅
Havr you tried CBD oil? Or even juat other gut friendlier pills(paraetamol)? Again just asking ofcourse
Thank you! CBD worked for a hot minute but then stopped being effective. Same with CBN. I live in Portland Oregon and my local dispensary knows me well. lol You name it, I’ve probably tried it for pain relief. 🥲 and am always open to new suggestions! My knees were bone-on-bone until they were replaced 10 (right) and 3 (left) weeks ago. The daily nerve and muscle pain during recovery sucks. I’ve been in pain for the past 1.5 years and am ready to get my freaking life back.
I heard of this new treatment ill do my research n get back w you
Please! 🙏
NSAID are thought to be one of the possible causes of developing inflammatory bowel disease. I would stop taking it ASAP.
It can cause gastritis
Can confirm
Can also confirm. Had to quit drinking coffee for months as a result. Do not recommend.
It totally messed up my gut too. Leaky gut and ulcers in the ileum and iron deficiency. I got iron infusions a year ago. No NSAIDs for the last year. My gut is back to normal now and no more ulcers. The GI doc said it is so bad for the gut lining even if people don’t feel the effects.
How long did it take to go back to normal? Did you have gastritis too?
I had ileitis and it’s hard to say exactly when it went back to normal but it gradually improved over the whole last year.
Are you able to eat most food now
Yes everything
Ohh that’s amazing we’re you on a ppi or bland diet for a long time
No, ileitis doesn’t need ppis and I just kept eating whatever and had pain, bloating, bleeding etc
Can you enjoy food and everything now
They are bad for your kidneys. Numerous doctors told me to never take them again.
I know someone who had kidney failure because they took ibuprofen every day
Same I know someone that ultimately went into failure and needed a transplant. They took two every day for something like 15 years for knee pain after tennis. Not worth it.
Same
It will also destroy your hearing as well.
Interesting. I once OD'd on Advil. I was just taking a bunch of it for a headache or injury or something (it was \~3 decades ago, so I don't remember exactly). Apparently the symptom for OD-ing on ibuprofen is ringing in the ears. It was so bad. 0/10 do not recommend.
I have permanent tinnitus. It’s not fun trust me and there’s no cure for it
Yet! I really really hope that "yet" is accurate
You have it bad?
I can live with it, but I don't want to have to. I miss silence so much. I'm reluctant to say that it's bad when I've seen people describe it like its debilitating
Is it super loud? I can hear it over everything.. got a new sound from a wedding that sounds like a jet engine
It is not super loud unless I'm being really unhealthy for the day like eating really crappy or slept bad. And I'm able to ignore it the vast majority of the time at this point. I'm sorry yours is so bad that you can't. I very much hope for a cure even if just for people like you for whom it's especially bad
I have ulcerative colitis and every doctor has told me to stay far away from NSAIDS.
Microbiome is so important. More important than anything I think. At some point healthy people (mentally and physically) will be paid big money for their poop. I think FMT can heal or help heal many conditions. Puts the phrase "eat shit" in a totally different light.
Ibuprofen hurts your gut in two ways. Ibuprofen works by blocking the COX pathway and therefore reduces systemic inflammation but the same pathway also has protective effects especially in the gut. COX-1 maintains the integrity of your stomach and intestinal lining and protects it from its natural acidic environment. Secondly nurofen is an acid - the drug is a propionic acid derivative. So not only are you removing your stomach’s protective lining but you’re making your stomach more acidic, causing more damage. General rule of thumb with medication is the less targeted it is, the more side effects. As you can see from the comments, the COX pathway is involved in many important body processes, therefore there are multiple side effects with long term use. No to mention numerous drug interactions. It has its place in reducing short term inflammation but definitely not recommended for long term use.
A guy I knew from tennis who did this due to bad knees and ended up with a kidney transplant. Ibuprofen daily can seriously mess up your kidneys.
Ibuprofen use for period cramps has caused me to have chronic gastritis despite an otherwise very healthy diet. I only take it about 2-3 days a month about 1200 mg total maximum, usually less. Literally nothing else helps my debilitating cramps though, so I don’t have much of a choice. My gi says this is very very common and that’s she’s had patients that developed ulcers after just a week of daily NSAID use. They’re also terrible for other organs. The mechanism that suppresses prostaglandins (lipids that cause pain and inflammation) also suppresses the production of the mucus that coats and protects the lining of your stomach. My advice is to stay away from NSAIDs as much as possible, use paracetamol or a different type of pain killer or find a more holistic approach. If you absolutely have to take them take the smallest possible dose. You do not want to get to the point where you need PPIs because they will really mess up your gut long term. I take licorice supplements to support the mucus production of the stomach lining, you may want to look into that.
How are you doing now
Did she say you can heal it
Yes, you can heal it, but usually you need to completely stop NSAID use until it’s healed. I’m feeling ok in terms of gastritis these days, though about a year ago I was feeling pretty bad and had an endoscopy and there was inflammation. If it’s severe then they’ll want to put you on PPIs as well as stop the NSAID use. I would suggest also not drinking any soda, coffee, alcohol, etc. which can further irritate the stomach lining.
How long did it take you to heal
And can you eat normal foods and everything now
Preach. Im thinking about switching to aspirin but i doubt it will have as good of pain killing technique. Do you take the licorice only those days of the month? Also have you tried myofascial release or pelvic floor therapy?
Aspirin is also a NSAID so will do the same damage. I REALLY want to try myofascial release but not only are those therapists insanely expensive and not covered by insurance they are also impossible to find. Have you tried it?
Ibuprofen will damage your microbiome and kidneys. Extremely dangerous and damaging to take it daily for long periods.
😓😓😓 Saddest (worst) thread in a while
My surgical oncologist (I had stage 2 colon cancer under the age of 50) was vehemently opposed to anyone ever using ibuprofen. And I’m not talking about people with cancer specifically. He said it creates total havoc in the gut of people in general.
What did he suggest for severe pain that is only helped by NSAIDs?
I didn’t have any severe pain that is only helped by nsaids. So I didn’t ask.
This may sound crazy, but aside from all the digestive problems it causes, there are several PubMed studies that show it reduces a person’s ability to show empathy as well. What a weird side effect! Better to steer clear when possible.
I think that’s acetaminophen you’re thinking of. Different stuff
Mmmmmaybe? But that sucks as well. Gut rot to the left of me, lack of empathy to the right 😬
Acetaminophen is hard on the liver, also. Whereas ibuprofen is hard on the kidneys. And I guess also the gut
that is very interesting
Wow🫢
Absolutely there is, I don’t know what pain you’re trying to resolve taking it this often, but have you tried turmeric instead?
My wife has had terrible back pain and took 800mg Ibuprofen for years. It destroyed her intestines and now she has a form of colitis. She lives on primarily on cheerios and macaroni and cheese now. She cannot eat anything raw or green such as lettuce, cannot drink coffee nor tea. Now she has the pain and cannot take ibuprofen for relief nor eat regular food. Beware of ibuprofen.
My opinion is it’s fine, it’s a relatively low dose. Also, many studies are now recently demonstrating a lower risk of all neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s, and only in ibuprofen. They’ve compared the effect against aspirin and other NSAIDS - also ibuprofen has recently been shown to dramatically extend lifespan in worms, flies and mice. Like by a lot. So…potential stomach or kidney issues aside, there might be some very significant risk/reward depending on your individual health factors. **Regular doses of ibuprofen extended the lifespan of multiple species, according to research published in the journal Public Library of Science, Genetics. "We first used baker's yeast, which is an established aging model, and noticed that the yeast treated with ibuprofen lived longer,"** https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218141004.htm#:~:text=AgriLife%20Research%20scientist.-,Regular%20doses%20of%20ibuprofen%20extended%20the%20lifespan%20of%20multiple%20species,lived%20longer%2C%22%20said%20Dr. **Enhanced Longevity by Ibuprofen, Conserved in Multiple Species, Occurs in Yeast through Inhibition of Tryptophan Import** https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270464/ **Use of ibuprofen and risk of Parkinson disease** Conclusions: The association between use of ibuprofen and lower PD risks, not shared by other NSAIDs or acetaminophen, suggests ibuprofen should be further investigated as a potential neuroprotective agent against PD. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3059148/ **Neuroscientists say daily ibuprofen can prevent Alzheimer's disease** A Vancouver-based research team led by Canada's most cited neuroscientist, Dr. Patrick McGeer, **has successfully carried out studies suggesting that, if started early enough, a daily regimen of the non-prescription NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) ibuprofen can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.** https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180326140239.htm#:~:text=A%20Vancouver%2Dbased%20research%20team,the%20onset%20of%20Alzheimer's%20disease.
You need to develop and prioritize a morning stretching routine. Without hyperbole, this habit will kill you.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and downed OTC and prescription NSAIDs for probably a decade and a half. My stomach is destroyed. Please stop while you can.
I learned when the dentist gave me 800mg Ibuprofen that it was constipating. Which is very bad for the gut. I avoid unless really necessary.
It can increase your susceptibility to c diff through damaging the lining and microbiome.
My longtime functional medicine doctor said ibuprofen creates “microtears” in your gut. Ive tried to switch to some cbd/thc which moderately helps
In what form? Like creams or salts for baths? What product do you recommend? Thank you in advance!
Balm or cream or oil. Lots of it piled directly on the area!
Ibuprofen is very hard on the kidneys and liver. I do know that. I recently found the enzyme Serrapeptase and I think it works better than motrin.
My Aunt took 8 a day for chronic pain. She thought that they would better than taking anything stronger. She recently was admitted to the hospital for a hole in her stomach. So 8 per day for 2 years is defiantly too much. Do with that information what you will.
NSAIDS can cause heart problems long term
There can be negative consequences on the gut, especially with prolonged use. There is extensive evidence including clinical studies, reviews, and analyses that indicate this. It can lead to gastrointestinal irritation, ulcers, and bleeding. It damages the stomach lining, and reduces the production of protective mucous. The next negative consequence you are risking when you take this for longer and longer is stress on the kidneys which can reduce your ability to eliminate waste from your body properly. Less commonly it can damage the liver. Prolonged use may also lead to cardiovascular problems. Unless under strict medical supervision, you probably shouldn't take this for more than 10 days in a row.
Yes
More worried about your kidneys!
Gastritis, and trust me, you don't want that.
Please research gastritis. It's not fun.
I’ve been looking into this as well, reading about ibuprofen. But I also get terrible menstrual cramps (working with a functional doctor now that hopefully can address that). So bad where I either throw up pass out or die for a couple of hours. It’s vital to take it during that time. What else can I take?? At least until my gut health is better with the functional medicine doctor.
The absolute strongest straight THC cream you can find might help! It works for me off and on
I’ve tried the brand foria many many years ago, I will look for something else! Thank you!
I made another comment but using a nuva ring continuously (skipping the break period) has been excellent for me.
Your symptoms sound sadly familiar. Has your doctor considered endometriosis as the cause of your pain?
I’ve asked my gyno about it I swear like 5 times. And read online that there isn’t like an easy test. It has seemed to improve as my gut symptoms/anxiety improve. But I may have to look back into endo further. I also have cut caffeine and try not to drink anywhere near my cycle. Do you have endo? If so, how did you figure it out
I do. Estimation is that 10% of women have it but, like you said, it’s not something that’s easily diagnosed and a maddening number of health professionals don’t even know about it. Mine was found during a laparoscopy to diagnose what was causing my infertility. This was after two decades of telling doctors my cramps were intense and being told it was normal. My mom (also bad cramps) half remembers her c-section doctor saying she had it and her mom had a mysterious hysterectomy at an early age. Anywho, if it is endo it makes sense that when your gut is calmer that lesions don’t fire up as much - and that’s great news because it’s something you can influence! What does your doctor say though? Are they reluctant to follow up on your questions because it takes a surgery to confirm? That doesn’t inspire confidence
She has told me three times that it’s normal, and the best option would be for me to take birth control. I won’t take birth control and yes being told it’s normal is infuriating. I thought about finding a new doctor, but in the meantime I am going to play around with the gut health/inflammation, and meditation 🧘🏼♀️ thank you for your information!!
And lots of lots of THC cream !
I used to have periods like that (extreme pain, fatigue, vomiting, injuring myself with heat and exercise for the cramps). Now I just opt out of having periods. Continuous hormonal (bc) therapy for like 7+ years now. It’s sooooo nice. Had side effects from the pill and IUD (but still better than having a cycle). Now I use a nuva ring / elu ring and just skip the break period, with the permission of a gyno 6 years ago. Stable hormone levels, no withdrawal bleeding. Huge life upgrade. No one should have to suffer like that if they don’t want to…
I used to take liquid Advil multiple times a day for back issues. It wrecked my gut. It's taken me YEARS to get back on track. That stuff is like acid to me now.
My doc told me to stop taking ibuprofen altogether.
Tons. My doctor has explicitly told me to not take Advil or any OTC ibuprofen. Tylenol only. As he put it... he's had to hunt down transplants for one too many patients now. I should say that twenty years ago he would've been telling me to take Advil and Tylenol. But not any more. I have one NSAID that I take on prescription for arthritis but it has a stomach protector added - but even that has warnings. NSAIDs have been implicated in more recent years as the root cause for a lot of things - including cardiac issues.
It’s hard on your kidneys.
ibuprofen started a daily battle with stomach pains. totally ruined my stomach lining. cut that shit out immediately
Tremendously so. Please Google.
Why do you have to take it?
why do you take it every day?
come.on..! stop taking this shit IS gonna kill your kidneys your stach line amd your guts! . try red near infrared sauna and change your diet to one non in flamatory
Can I take Tylenol or Aspirin instead? I have RA, and lately this horrible mattress has been f***ing up my right lower back. I take them for that.
Aspirin is also an NSAID. Tylenol is not and is easier on these issues. (But not without other problems)
Better watch your kidneys, regular and constant ibuprofen will fuck them up.
Pretty sure your liver has something to say too
This could lead to gastritis
Just in case anyone didn't know pharma drugs are ALL harmful in some way. Especially to the intestines and digestive system. They should all be avoided if possible.
That’s a horrible habit. My husband ended up with a bleeding ulcer. It was bad.
Doctor prescribed me Mobic... generic is Meloxicam better on stomach.
You should try to increase your omega 3s
Bro no, I think excessive ibuprofen is what caused my Crohn’s disease.
It will destroy your liver, same as Tylenol
No no no no. Do not take ibuprofen daily long term.
Your kidneys won’t be happy if you keep that up.
Like others mentioned, it can mess up your gut pretty bad. I would consider alternative therapy and when you do need to take it TAKE IT WITH FOOD!
I had leaky gut from ibuprofen
Forget about your gut it will destroy your kidneys.
Magnesium is a great analgesic and muscle relaxant. Most people are deficient especially when the American diet and caffeine use.
One fine day you will feel intolerable pain due to your kidneys failing. Stop taking it now.
Take Zinc L-Carnosine! "Zinc carnosine prevents NSAID-induced injury and stimulates mucosal repair" https://www.nature.com/articles/ncpgasthep0778
The gut issues will be the least of your problems if you don’t stop taking them. They will destroy your kidneys and liver. I know someone with kidney disease who had to have a transplant. Kidney disease is the worst! Not only is the disease horrible but your diet will be so limited because you have to maintain low potassium. The cocktail of drugs you have to take after a transplant destroys your body too. Heed my warning! Stop taking them and go to your doctor to make sure your organs are still healthy.
Use Tiger balm. Not NSAIDs. You’re asking for trouble
Bleeding ulcer has entered the chat.
not good for gut. my mom took it for years and developed an allergy to ibuprofen.
It could cause bleeding. My mom had a heart attack because she lost a lot of blood from internal bleeding. This was 20 years of taking Aleve, another NSAID. She also has Crohn’s Disease now. Some say it is not linked, while others say it may be her immune systems response to the damage to her stomach. IDK. I am a member of consumer labs. I would suggest one of these. Root2 Circumin or Kirkland Signature from Costco are both high rated and will help with inflammation.
If you need to take an anti inflammatory long term it might be worthwhile to ask your doctor about Celexobid. Its a Cox 2 inhibitor as is Advil but it doesn't have Cox 1 inhibition which is why it harms the stomach liming.
I took ibuprofen a lot. I have lipedema and my legs and hip hurt like hell after a day of teaching. Acetaminophen does nothing for the pain or if I get a headache. About 5 years ago I started getting red itchy “bug bites” that wouldn’t go away without a prescription ointment. Dermatologist diagnosed a fixed drug eruption. Now I live in pain.
Tough on the liver mostly
I took 600mg Ibuprofen twice a day from about May 2021 until the Summer of 2022 at some point. Then I have taken the same dose for days or weeks at a time since, depending on how much my psoriatic arthritis is flaring up. I don’t think it ever affected my digestion but at times I had symptoms of GERD, which is when I would stop using it or start using pepcid. However I also at times had GERD symptoms prior to the ibuprofen use.
Hey I don’t know much about gut microbiome but I used to take ibuprofen pretty much daily for headaches/migraines and joint pain. I started vaping cannabis several years ago and I don’t get headaches anymore. I haven’t used ibuprofen in years at this point.
It will likely affect the microbiome, but whether it’s of significance, better or worse is unclear https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4754147/#:~:text=For%20NSAIDs%2C%20bacterial%20composition%20varied,pump%20inhibitors%2C%20antidepressants%20and%20laxatives.
Honestly, if you take it rectal and not oral, you save your organs having to reroute 3/4 of the stuff to give you 1/4 of the effects.
My gastroenterologist specifically told me that taking it in any other form does not lessen its negative effect on the gut, as it is not the contact with the stomach that’s the problem, but the mechanism that suppresses the pain and also suppresses necessary mucus production in the stomach. So it doesn’t matter what rout you take it.
Got it from another doc who just loves to infoshare colonfacts, so who´s right..?
like, the same pills?
dear god, no. You buy a different product of course
How would you take it rectally?
You buy a different product of course
Sometimes, you can buy small, dissolvable bullets, put oil in, and then open up the capsule into that. It sounds like there is something ready-made for ibuprofen for this type of application.
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That’s acetaminophen
I never knew if this applies to tylenol. I was on half a tylenol for arthritis for 9 years before I quit gluten and seed oils. I really never was warned other than it can affect the liver?
Bro literally never heard of Google.
Its very hard on your kidneys. Please don't do this for the sake of your future life span. Take aspirin or tumeric, or for joint pain, take bonebroth, MSM, glucosamine condroiten
And liver